Hornets Notes: Skeeter, Lee, Staff, Tasks

The Hornets plan to hire Jazz assistant coach Lamar Skeeter to be their top assistant under new head coach Charles Lee, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Skeeter has been with Utah for the past 10 years, starting out as a player development/video analyst before being promoted multiple times. He interviewed for the Jazz’s head coaching job — which eventually went to Will Hardy — a couple years ago, and reportedly received consideration from Charlotte this spring as well.

Here’s more on the Hornets:

• In an interview with the team’s website (YouTube link), Lee said he’s looking forward to working with Charlotte’s “talent-rich roster,” particularly the “young core” of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball. “It does excite me and you watch these young guys right now and they are still trying to find their way of what they are in the NBA,” Lee said. “We just have to come with the right approach, that every day we have an opportunity to get better. And so whatever that consists of for every player, we have to attack it and be obsessed with daily improvement. And I think from what I’ve seen of those guys, that have that DNA. And that’s why the Hornets decided to draft Brandon, decided to draft LaMelo. They are the types of guys you want to continue to build around.”
• Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer lists three tasks Lee will be faced with when he begins working with the Hornets full-time — the 39-year-old is currently finishing out the season with Boston. Lee’s first order of business will be filling out his staff, which has already begun with the reported hiring of Skeeter. While it isn’t certain, there’s a strong possibility the majority of the coaching staff could be seeking employment elsewhere in the coming weeks, according to Boone, who reports that changes to the performance staff could also be in the works.
• Was Lee the right choice for the job? Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer initially advocated for the Hornets to hire South Carolina women’s coach Dawn Staley. Obviously they didn’t hire Staley, but Lee seems like a solid choice due to his track record of success as an assistant, Fowler opines.